President Obama’s “Big Deal”

I’d suggest using this phrase to describe the Obama administration as a whole. F.D.R. had his New Deal; well, Mr. Obama has his Big Deal. He hasn’t delivered everything his supporters wanted, and at times the survival of his achievements seemed very much in doubt. But if progressives look at where we are as the second term begins, they’ll find grounds for a lot of (qualified) satisfaction.

This might have the sticking power to become a real thing. The last time a presidential legacy carried a name like this was Johnson's "Great Society." One of the biggest deals of the Big Deal so far is how the president has been able to achieve these things given the unprecedented level of opposition -- congressional Republicans willing to obstruct and sabotage everything, regardless of what it was.

“…congressional Republicans willing to obstruct and sabotage everything, regardless of what it was.”

That perfectly summarizes the legacy that will be remembered about the Republicans during Obama’s time in office.

Coming off of what could very well be the worst presidency in history (GWB), the Republicans, in their hubris, refuse to admit this. They have to know it to be true but their foolish pride will not allow them to say so. Rather, they pin the blame on a man whom they know could fix it…Obama’s policies will fix the economy…again, they know this because the policies he’s proposing have worked before. To support him would mean, in some way, that their frat boy Bush was a fuck up and that the cool black man is better at the job. Their psychology just won’t allow that. So, obstruction to cause failure is the only tool they have to save face.

muselet

Oh, but remember, George W Bush wasn’t actually a conservative, so he shouldn’t even be counted as a Republican.

Hard to see when two equally disconnected from reality groups are yelling “DRONE STRIKES, POT, AND CIVIL LIBERTRIES” from the left and “DEBT INCREASING, NAZI-COMMUNIST, NON-AMERICAN!” from the right. Add in hundreds of thousands of American citizens agreeing and lending credibility to each sides screeching.
It will probably be a generation before any real impartial assessment can be made of the Obama presidency. Especially, if he continues to undercut the traditional power bases in D.C.